The RCMP has charged a Windsor immigration lawyer and her assistant for allegedly counseling individuals to make refugee claims based on fake stories.

Sandra Zaher and her assistant Diana Al-Masalkhi were arrested on Thursday and charged with misrepresentation, counseling misrepresentation and fabricating evidence.

They were scheduled to appear in court April 26.

The arrests followed a two-month police investigation into allegations they had counseled foreign nationals “to make refugee eligibility claims based on fraudulent stories,” the RCMP said in a statement.

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On the Zaher Immigration Law Firm website, Ms. Zaher is described as “an immigration lawyer who is committed to helping foreigners to immigrate to North America.” It says she is “sympathetic to immigrant needs in their struggle to adjust to a new way of life.”

“Sandra was born to Italian immigrant parents and married to an Arabic physician,” it says, adding she has a PhD from the University of Toronto. “She wishes to use her multicultural background and education to serve the needs of refugees” and other immigrants, it says.

Her firm has “affiliated offices” in Damascus, Abu Dhabi, Jeddah and Riyadh,” the website says. “If you are thinking of immigrating or visiting Canada or the U.S., the Zaher Immigration Law Firm will be more than happy to assist you,” it says.

Cpl. Annette Bernardon, the Winsor RCMP spokeswoman, was unable to say how many clients were allegedly told to lie in their refugee claims or whether those claims would be reviewed.

Immigration and Refugee Board records show Ms. Zaher represented an Iraqi client in 2009 who had failed to disclose to immigration officials he was married, but there is no indication that case was linked to the arrests.